


Happily Ever After (A Twisted Tale, Alternate Ending)

by hoywfiction



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: A Twisted Tale, Alternate Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7308676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoywfiction/pseuds/hoywfiction





	Happily Ever After (A Twisted Tale, Alternate Ending)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Twisted Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7306405) by [hoywfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoywfiction/pseuds/hoywfiction). 



Arthur was ready to feel the cold of death embrace him, or the hard surface of the pavement. But that never came. Instead he felt a sort of fire pass through him, burning his bones in a way that was just dulled enough to be pleasant, and he gradually opened his eyes. He was suspended in the air, Merlin hanging over the banister above him, hand extended and eyes glowing with the same fire he felt in himself. As his friend moved back, he moved up, and after moments he was safely on the balcony once again.

"I told you to get down," Merlin teased as his eyes faded back to normal, though he swallowed harshly as well. Without thinking the Prince wrapped his arms around the servant, holding him tight, burying his face against his shoulder. The embrace was returned fully, and before either one could help themselves they were partially crying and partially laughing in absolute joy.

"I thought I'd never get to see you again," Arthur said aloud, hands grasping the material of Merlin's clothing.

"I'm so sorry," he replied. "I wanted to come back, I wanted to tell you I was alive... With your father it's hard..." He couldn't quite find the words he wanted to say, so he sighed, shaking his head and just doing what he'd come to do best. He made a fool of himself. He held Arthur out at arm's reach, looked over his face. "There are so many things that I've been too scared to tell you."

The Prince's face slowly formed a smirk. "Worse than your secret, Sorcerer?"

"Shut up," Merlin chuckled, ducking beneath his friend's hand as he tried to ruffle his hair. The both of them were laughing, and the sound was like a song. It had been ages; the action was almost foreign to the Prince and the warlock alike. "Sire, please, take me seriously just one moment."

"Well I don't know if that's possible, _Mer_ lin," replied the blonde playfully, trying to jab his fingers into the boy's side, causing him to leap away from his touch.

"Arthur—" Merlin tried again, laughter in his tone as he avoided yet another affectionate attack.

"I've been deprived of annoying you, I deserve this," said Arthur, reaching for him again only to have him, strangely enough, step closer. And perhaps it was the proximity that froze him, or maybe it was the look of seriousness overtaking his closest friend's face. But either way he paused and just looked into the bright blue eyes he'd been craving for a whole year's time.

"If you don't stop, I don't get to tell you," said the mousy boy, though now he exerted more power than ever as Arthur fell silent. "I don't get to tell you that..."

The blonde stared on, but as Merlin fumbled for words the slightest of smiles found itself onto his lips. "You don't need to."

Merlin looked up at him in shock, round blue eyes somehow wider than before. "I don't?"

Arthur shook his head in response, taking a step closer. That was the truth; Merlin had no need to say a word, because the Prince already knew anything he could possibly have on his mind. And any emotions he was feeling had to have been going through Arthur's chest as well. Chuckling a little, the blonde took hold of his servant's hand and turned to lead him off the balcony. "Come on! We've been here talking away and we've yet to tell anyone else you're alive!"

"No need," Merlin laughed as he followed behind Arthur through the familiar space of his quarters. His friend stopped, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "They sort of... Knew."

There was a long pause, but then Arthur let out a breath of laughter, shaking his head. "Well by 'they' I know you mean Gwaine, so him I will deal with later. But for now..."

He looked away, towards his door, and Merlin's gaze followed. With a flare of his eyes the latch closed, locking the outside world away and letting them have this- their own little world- to only themselves. "For now, sire?"

Arthur looked at him with a fondness, then pulled him over to the bed, releasing his hand only to sit on the bedding with his legs crossed. He patted the spot beside him, smiling. "For now I get you to myself. Come sit, tell me about everything."

Merlin seemed cautious, glancing towards the chairs by the fire, but the reluctance soon faded and he joined the lad, rubbing his arm nervously. "I don't know where to start."

"How about you start with why you came back?" He glanced at the servant shyly, soon turning his eyes away. "You could have gone to another kingdom. You could have gone home... Anywhere."

But Merlin already knew his answer for such a question. "This is my home, Arthur. I have my friends, I have Gaius... You. And there's nothing else in this entire kingdom, or another, that I could want more."

And, the blonde supposed, it was the heaviness of what Merlin said that caused him to confess. "This place hasn't felt much like home without you here."

Suddenly thunder cracked loudly outside, echoing throughout the room due to the door they'd foolishly left open. Despite himself Arthur jumped, hitting his back against the headboard and causing it to shake. Merlin looked at him and grinned, shaking his head as he stood from the bed to close the doors. The rain came in just slightly as he did so, some droplets catching his hair and eyelashes, spattering lightly on the flooring.

"Don't worry, sire," he said as he returned to sit beside him, "I'll always be here to protect you."

Arthur laughed, ruffling the droplets from his hair and pushing his head playfully, causing his friend to join in the laughter. "Shut up."

"Come on, you need me," replied the other humourously, but he hadn't yet noticed that his Prince had lost his smile.

"I do, Merlin." The servant's laughter died down and he looked at the blonde beside him expectantly, curious. "Please... Tell me that you're honest, that you'll always be here."

Blue eyes stared into blue, and thunder roared outside once more but neither flinched. "Is that a command, sire?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, smirking. "Do you need it to be?"

The both of them laughed, talking about things they both knew and perhaps things they didn't. As the dark of night rolled around, the comforting fires kept their bodies warm, but the company of one another did the rest. They fell asleep there, facing one another on the pillows of Arthur's bed, forgetting about the storm that raged outside the windows. They'd been facing a hurricane for a full year; what was one more night of winds and rain?

 

A little over a year later...

"Come on! Submit— I've beaten you!" The sun beat down bright through a clear sky, and Percival squinted against it as he looked up at Gwaine. The other knight circled around him, his sword pointed towards his throat. They'd trained endlessly, and though Gwaine was a very talented swordsman he had often found Percival's size hard to overcome. But today, he'd gotten him, he was sure.

"I suppose I've no choice," Percival said, a smile begining to form on the other knight's lips. But he wasn't expecting Percival to lunge out, grabbing his legs and pulling him to the ground as the larger knight laughed.

"Hey! Percy!" Gwaine protested, as he fell on top of the other man, pushing himself up enough to see the smile on his face. Gwaine rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet as he playfully swatted Percival's shoulder.

"Help me up," Percival smirked, holding up his hands. The other man sighed and shook his head, but did as he was asked, struggling as he dragged the taller of them to his feet. "Good work."

"You cheated," Gwaine said, trying to let go of him but Percival had other plans. He looped an arm around the smaller knight's waist, and kicked a leg out from under him, causing him to fall into a dip, caught in Percival's arm.

"Did I?" he asked, a playful sparkle in his eyes. Gwaine laughed, especially when Percy supplied a daisy seemingly out of nowhere and tucked it into his long hair over his ear. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful man."

"Flattery will not get you out of this," Gwaine said as he got to his feet, pushing Percival gently away, but it was clear by the smile and slight blush that it would.

"None of this," came a familiar voice, and Gwaine yelped as he was promptly swatted on the backside by the flat side of a sword. Percival laughed, looking at their King as he stood in his training clothes, bracers adorning his arms and his blade in hand. "This is a place of battle, not of... whatever this is."

"And yet he's here?" said Gwaine, gesturing to the boy stood a little ways off with a cloak around his shoulders. Merlin looked up at that, walking over towards them.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked curiously.

"You're no longer a servant, there's no need for you here," said Percival, pointing towards him. "We've no need of your magic, your Highness."

"Of course there's need for him here, and he's the Court Sorcerer, not a king," Arthur said indignantly, taking a lazy swing towards Gwaine that was easily avoided.

"We're simply preparing for the future," said the knight, smirking towards Percival. The King took the broad side of his sword to Gwaine's thigh, much to his protest, and when he turned his arse once again.

"Go, they've begun serving meals," he chuckled, giving Percival the same treatment as he had Gwaine as he passed.

"Of course," said Gwaine, with a sort of flourish spinning around both Merlin and Arthur, plucking the flower from his curls and transferring it to Merlin.

"Thank you for the royal smacking, your Majesty," said Percival, and Arthur and Merlin laughed as the King waved them away. Sticking his tongue out over his shoulder (a mature adult, Gwaine was), the smaller knight hopped onto Percy's back, and he carried him off without problem.

"I'm happy they're back to normal," said Merlin as he stepped beside Arthur. The blonde nodded, looking over at him, grinning. He examined the daisy on his ear, then plucked it, placing it in a different part of his dark hair. "Arthur...?"

"Hold still," said the King, looking around by his feet. He collected similar flowers, some of different colours, placing them in Merlin's hair as he seemed fit, and the sorcerer said not a word, only smiled and perhaps blushed a bit.

"What... What are you doing?" he chuckled gently, feeling his friend create a ring of the little colourful plants on his head.

"Giving you a crown, of course..." replied Arthur, focused on his task. "Your Highness."

Merlin smiled, eyes looking down towards the clovers around his feet. "Didn't you just tell Gwaine—?"

"I'm preparing." He put one last flower in place, stepping back to examine his work. He smiled satisfactorily, eyes coming to meet Merlin's now, a swirl of emotions within his own. They looked at one another, words unsaid but heard all the same passing between them. "For the future."

* * *

_Things have changed, and a few years ago I would have never been able to even imagine the life I'm now living. My prince became a king, and I became something more than a servant hiding a secret. Two halves of a whole, two sides of the same coin... It makes more sense now than it ever has before. And I've never felt more honoured to be a citizen of Camelot than I do now. Allinan— Finally, this land is free of fear. Long live King Arthur. Long live my King._


End file.
